diff --git a/Lib/doctest.py b/Lib/doctest.py
index b07ef6e..41eccbe 100644
--- a/Lib/doctest.py
+++ b/Lib/doctest.py
@@ -2240,6 +2240,19 @@
     def shortDescription(self):
         return "Doctest: " + self._dt_test.name
 
+class SkipDocTestCase(DocTestCase):
+    def __init__(self):
+        DocTestCase.__init__(self, None)
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.skipTest("DocTestSuite will not work with -O2 and above")
+
+    def test_skip(self):
+        pass
+
+    def shortDescription(self):
+        return "Skipping tests from %s" % module.__name__
+
 def DocTestSuite(module=None, globs=None, extraglobs=None, test_finder=None,
                  **options):
     """
@@ -2282,13 +2295,20 @@
 
     module = _normalize_module(module)
     tests = test_finder.find(module, globs=globs, extraglobs=extraglobs)
-    if not tests:
+
+    if not tests and sys.flags.optimize >=2:
+        # Skip doctests when running with -O2
+        suite = unittest.TestSuite()
+        suite.addTest(SkipDocTestCase())
+        return suite
+    elif not tests:
         # Why do we want to do this? Because it reveals a bug that might
         # otherwise be hidden.
         raise ValueError(module, "has no tests")
 
     tests.sort()
     suite = unittest.TestSuite()
+
     for test in tests:
         if len(test.examples) == 0:
             continue